Burger King Removes All Artificial Flavors and Preservatives From Whopper

The King is au naturale. Effective immediately, Burger King's flagship burger is without added colors, flavoring, or preservatives from artificial sources. In an attempt to create a healthier eating experience for its customers, BK has announced its new recipe for The Whopper features only 100-percent natural ingredients. To hammer the point across, the chain has even updated the packaging for the burger, throwing the ingredient list right on the wrapper.

"We put a lot of effort into the Whopper to make it taste great and the real Whopper free of colors, flavors and preservatives from artificial sources has the same iconic flame-grilled flavor that guests know and love," Burger King president Chris Finazzo says in a statement. "This announcement further highlights our commitment to serve delicious, affordable meals our guests can feel good about."

The move comes after Burger King integrated the Impossible Whopper into its menu, a plant-based meat product that mimics typical burger patties. According to the release distributed by the company, 85-percent of the fast-food joint's permanent product menu now features food free for artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. The company hopes to bump that number to 100-percent by the beginning of next year.

"We know that real food tastes better and are working hard to remove all preservatives, colors and flavors from artificial sources from the burgers and food we serve in all countries around the world," BK chief marketer Fernando Machadoadds. "Through our Restaurant Brands for Good framework we are committed to doing the right thing and continuously improving the quality of our food."

While the change in Whopper recipes is permanent, the ingredient list on the wrapper of The Whopper is only available for a limited time.